Button - EDocman Document Link Plugin

Overview

The Button - EDocman Document Link plugin adds a button to the Joomla article editor (TinyMCE) for inserting document links.

Plugin Group: editors-xtd
Purpose: TinyMCE editor button to insert document links via modal selection interface

Configuration

Features

• Visual Document Selection: Modal popup with searchable document list
• Link Preview: See document details before insertion
• Multiple Link Types: Choose link behavior (detail, download, view)
• Quick Upload: Upload new documents without leaving editor
• Category Filtering: Filter documents by category in modal
• Search Functionality: Find documents quickly by title

Usage

Enable Plugin

1. Navigate to Extensions → Plugins in Joomla admin
2. Search for "Button - EDocman Document Link"
3. Enable the plugin
4. Configure link type and insert mode
5. Save

Insert Document Link in Article

1. Edit article in Joomla
2. Position cursor where link should appear
3. Click EDocman Document Link button in editor toolbar
4. Modal window opens with document list
5. Option A - Select Existing Document:
   • Search or browse document list
   • Filter by category if needed
   • Click document to select
6. Option B - Upload New Document (if enabled):
   • Click "Upload New" tab
   • Fill document information
   • Upload file
   • Document saved and inserted
7. Link automatically inserted at cursor position
8. Continue editing article
9. Save article

Inserted Link Format

Detail Page Link:

<a href="/documents/document-title">Document Title</a>

Download Link:

<a href="/index.php?option=com_edocman&task=document.download&id=42">Download Document Title</a>

View Link:

<a href="/index.php?option=com_edocman&task=document.view&id=42">View Document Title</a>

Editor Button Location

Button appears in TinyMCE toolbar, typically with other content insertion buttons (images, links, modules).

Button icon: Usually document or download icon

Use Cases

• Article Authors: Quick document linking without memorizing URLs
• Content Editors: Professional link formatting automatically
• Multi-Author Sites: Consistent link structure across authors
• Resource Pages: Easily create pages with multiple document links
• Tutorial Content: Link supporting documents inline in tutorials

Link Type Comparison

Detail Page:

• Shows full document information
• Best for: Letting users see details before downloading
• User can rate, bookmark, view related documents

Download Link:

• Triggers immediate download
• Best for: Quick access to files
• Shorter user journey

View Link:

• Opens document viewer (PDF viewer, media player, Google Viewer)
• Best for: Documents meant for online viewing
• Reduces unnecessary downloads

Modal Document Selection

The selection modal provides:

• Search Bar: Find documents by title
• Category Filter: Dropdown to filter by category
• Document List: Scrollable list with pagination
• Document Preview: Thumbnail and description
• Quick Actions: Select button per document

Comparison with Other Plugins

vs Content - EDocman Link Plugin:

• Button Plugin: Editor button for easy insertion during writing
• Content Plugin: Shortcode system requiring manual syntax

vs EDocman Category Shortcode Button:

• Document Link Button: Links to single documents
• Category Shortcode Button: Embeds entire category listing

vs EDocman Document Shortcode Button:

• Document Link Button: Inserts HTML link element
• Document Shortcode Button: Inserts shortcode for full document display

Troubleshooting

Button Not Appearing:

• Verify plugin is enabled
• Check editor is TinyMCE (default Joomla editor)
• Refresh browser cache (Ctrl+F5)
• Check plugin published and assigned to correct editor

Modal Not Opening:

• Check for JavaScript errors in browser console
• Verify jQuery is loaded
• Test with different browser
• Check for conflicting plugins

Links Not Working:

• Verify Default ItemID is set correctly
• Check document is published and accessible
• Review SEF URL settings in EDocman configuration
• Test link after saving article

Upload Feature Not Working:

• Verify user has document create permissions
• Check file upload PHP settings (max_filesize)
• Review EDocman upload configuration
• Check server write permissions on document folder

Tips

1. Set appropriate default link type for your use case
2. Configure Default ItemID for consistent URLs
3. Enable search in modal for large document libraries
4. Train content authors on link type differences
5. Use detail page links for SEO benefits
6. Use download links for quick access scenarios
7. Test links in different user groups (verify permissions)

Updated: January 2026